Expenditure On Retail Pharmaceuticals Per Capita, USD$ PPP, 2019
Prescribed Medicines: $236
Over-The-Counter Medicines: $65
Total: $301

Source: OECD (2021), Health at a Glance 2021: OECD Indicators, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/ae3016b9-en.

Expenditure On Retail Pharmaceuticals By Type Of Financing, 2019 (%)
Government/Compulsory Plans: 53%
Voluntary Health Insurance Plans: 7%
Out-Of-Pocket: 40%

Source: OECD (2021), Health at a Glance 2021: OECD Indicators, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/ae3016b9-en.

“Drugs prescribed at hospitals are free at the point of delivery, whereas drugs prescribed by GPs are subject to co-insurance. The degree of co-insurance depends on the individual patient’s drug costs in a year. If the individual patient’s costs do not exceed DKK 865 (€116), the patient does not receive a refund (although patients under 18 years of age will receive a refund of 60% of their drug costs); patients with drug costs of DKK 865 – 1410 (€116 – 189) receive a refund of 50% (patients below 18 years of age, 60%); patients with drug costs of DKK 1410 – 3045 (€189 – 408) receive a refund of 75% (independently of their age); and patients with drug costs above DKK 3045 (€408) receive a refund of 85%.

“Chronically ill patients with permanent or high drug utilization levels can apply for full reimbursement for any expenditure above an annual ceiling of DKK 3555 (€477). The municipalities may pay part of pensioners’ drug costs, the size of the share depending on the pensioner’s capital. Pensioners who find it difficult to pay for pharmaceuticals can apply to their municipality for financial assistance. Patients with very low income can receive partial reimbursement, on a case-by-case basis. In addition, many individuals purchase VHI to spread the risk of high drug costs and level out the cost of drugs prescribed outside hospitals over time.

“Pharmacies are required to substitute the least expensive generic drug for the drug prescribed by the GP to reduce drug costs for the public sector as well as for the individual patient.

“Out-of-pocket payments are not tax deductible. Limits to costs in drugs but not in other areas (dentistry and other providers outside hospitals) means that user charges in some areas have consequences for individual patients and for equality (see sections 3.7, 7.2 and 7.3.2).”

Source: Olejaz M, Juul Nielsen A, Rudkjøbing A, Okkels Birk H, Krasnik A, Hernández-Quevedo C. Denmark: Health system review. Health Systems in Transition, 2012, 14(2):1 – 192.

Health Systems Facts is a project of the Real Reporting Foundation. We provide reliable statistics and other data from authoritative sources regarding health systems in the US and sixteen other nations.

Page last updated Nov. 21, 2022 by Doug McVay, Editor.